Home energy grants and information

Smart meter rollout

Smart Energy GB is the national campaign for the smart meter rollout. By the end of 2020, around 50 million smart meters will be fitted in over 26 million households across Wales, Scotland and England. This is the biggest national infrastructure project in our lifetimes.

Installation stage 2016 - 2020

The smart meter rollout gets going in 2016. The gas and electricity suppliers are responsible for planning and delivering smart meter installation. They can do this however suits their customers and business best, but they must meet the Government's overall timescale and targets along the way.

All the energy suppliers have different plans for smart meter installation, depending on factors like the location of their main customer base.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change will manage the implementation of the programme, and monitor its progress.

Cold weather payments

You may get a cold weather payment if you get certain benefits. Payments are made when your local temperature is either recorded as, or forecast to be, an average of zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.

You’ll get a payment of £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.
The gov.uk website has more details on cold weather payments.

Winter fuel payments

You could get between £100 and £300 tax-free to help pay your heating bills if you were born on or before 5 January 1952. This is known as a winter fuel payment.

Most payments are usually made automatically between November and December if you get the state pension or another social security benefit (not housing benefit, council tax reduction or child benefit).